resistance

Thu

Sep

2014

Pot-banging protests set the background music to a military parade

New translation available

Submitted by Gary

El Ciudadano

Despite the widespread police forces deployed during the military parade in the Parque O’Higgins, hundreds of people protested by banging pots near...

Wed

Oct

Stop recruitment of 16 year olds into the UK armed forces

Submitted by hannah on Wed, 22/10/2014 - 15:27

We call on the UK Government to stop its policy of allowing 15 year olds to apply and 16 and 17 year olds to be recruited into the Armed Forces. The recruitment and targeting of young people and vulnerable groups has been criticised by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. 2014 is the year to end this policy.

Why is this important?

What better way to commit our country to peace during the commemoration of World War One and remember the hundreds of thousands who died from the UK alone, including boy soldiers like Rifleman V J Strudwick who was killed at 15? Why is it that in 2014 the UK is the only country in Europe - and the only country among the permanent members of the UN Security Council - to recruit 16 year olds into its armed forces?

Mon

Oct

Honor Charter “Neutralizing children from Conflict"

Submitted by hannah on Mon, 06/10/2014 - 14:41

Syrian Women’s Forum for Peace adopted what came in the statement of the Honor Charter “Neutralizing children from Conflict" by Building Syrian State Current, issued on 05/10/2014.
The charter requests from the conflict parties to declare their commitment to the following:
1- Avoid targeting areas that are likely to be inhabited by children.
2- Prevent recruiting children under age of 18 and prevent them from any involvement in combat operations or intelligence action.
3- Prevent the participation of children in any kind of political movement, including rallies of pro-opposition and pro-regime, festivals of electoral rhetoric and everything related to political action.
4- Avoid media exploitation for children related issues.
5- Prevent using schools for any political or military purposes, and to facilitate any process related to children’s education

Tue

Sep

The battle for the home front [event in Frankfurt am Main]

German army reserve forces, civilian-military cooperation and the importance of higher education institutions

Lecture and discussion with Claudia Haydt (Information Agency on Militarisation (IMI), Tübingen)

Frankfurt am Main

Wednesday, 29 October 2014, 7.00 pm

at Café Koz, Studierendenhaus Campus Bockenheim, Mertonstrasse 26-28 (Bockenheimer Warte underground station)

Tue

Sep

Children's rights groups urge Defense program to stop giving school cops military hardware

Submitted by hannah on Tue, 23/09/2014 - 10:48

Photo: The 2013 Caiman MRAP acquired by the San Diego Unified School District Police Department with decals rendered by an artist. San Diego Unified School District

Update, Sept. 18, 10:54 a.m.: Following complaints, the Los Angeles Unified School District Police Department announced Tuesday it will return three grenade launchers but keep an anti-mine armored vehicle and 61 M-16s it acquired through a Department of Defense program. The surplus automatic M-16 rifles were converted to semi-automatic, the department said.

Tue

Sep

Hochschule für den Frieden - Ja zur Zivilklausel / Highschools for Peace - Yes to Civil Clause - Germany

Die Initiative "Hochschulen für den Frieden - Ja zur Zivilklausel" gründete sich im Mai 2011. In ihr setzen sich Gewerkschaften, Studierenden- und Wissenschafts- sowie Friedensorganisationen für zivile Hochschulen als Ort für Studien, Lehre und Forschung ein, in denen sinnvolle Beiträge zur friedlichen Lösung der Probleme und Konflikte dieser Welt geleistet werden (weitere Informationen siehe: Erklärung „Hochschulen für den Frieden - ja zur Zivilklausel“).

Wed

Sep

Ideas for action: take part in our week of action for military-free education and research

Submitted by hannah on Wed, 17/09/2014 - 10:16

Would you like to take action for military-free education and research?

You can join War Resisters' International's week of action from 25 - 31 October (as an individual or as a group). Find out more here.

Here are some ideas for actions:

Thu

Sep

Open Letter to Wrexham Council about Armed Forces Day

Submitted by hannah on Thu, 11/09/2014 - 15:11

North Wales Armed Forces Day is this year being held in Wrexham. We are being asked to 'celebrate' and 'thank' our Armed Forces without any critical analysis of the recent conflicts they have been involved in. The event will be used by the military as a recruitment exercise, and much of this will be aimed at children.

Over 100 people have signed an open letter to Wrexham County Borough Council protesting its promotion, sponsorship and funding of this event and the use of a picture of a toddler in military gear to advertise it. The council has yet to respond.

Open letter to Wrexham County Borough Council

We note that Wrexham Council is sponsoring and promoting North Wales Armed Forces Day 2014 on Saturday 21 June, and are horrified that a picture of a toddler dressed in military uniform is being used to advertise the event.

Fri

Aug

International Week of Action for Military-Free Education and Research: 25 - 31 October

Militaries across the world gain access to young people through education systems.

It gives them an extraordinary chance to shape every generation's perception of military violence and lay the groundwork for future recruitment.

25 - 31 October 2014 sees the first international week of action for military-free education and research: a concerted effort of antimilitarist action across the world to raise awareness and challenge of the role the military have in education, and to give voice to alternatives.

Tue

Aug

Resolution at National Union of Teachers conference, 2008: War

Submitted by hannah on Tue, 12/08/2014 - 11:51

War

Conference reaffirms existing Union policies which:

1. Call for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
2. Oppose military action or intervention in Iran.

The Global Campaign for Education have reported that over half of the children out of school are now living in countries where there are wars taking place. Conference notes with particular concern the huge refugee crisis within and beyond Iraq’s borders, one consequence of which is the impossibility of education for most learners of all ages.

Tue

Aug

Non-military schools in Germany

Submitted by hannah on Tue, 12/08/2014 - 11:46

As part of the work against the militarisation of the education system, several schools in Germany have refused to cooperate with the German Armed Forces and won’t tolerate appearances from them in schools.

Robert Blum Grammar School in Berlin passed the motion of “Schools Without Military” on Thursday the 24th of March 2011 with a 7:1 majority. The motion went as follows:

Robert Blum Grammar School - Schools without Armed Forces

Robert Blum Grammar School refuses to work together with the Armed Forces in regards to education. Included in this refusal is:

- Any cooperation agreements with the armed forces

- The invitation of educational officers to lessons or school activities

- The advertisement of placements in armed forces buildings

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Countering Military Recruitment

WRI's new booklet, Countering Military Recruitment: Learning the lessons of counter-recruitment campaigns internationally, is out now. The booklet includes examples of campaigning against youth militarisation across different countries with the contribution of grassroot activists.

You can order a paperback version here.